KickAss: The Trials of the Liberator
by Skullhead881
Summary: The Sequel to Kick-Ass: The Tale of the Liberator. After a new super villain attacks the president, the United States government passes a law banning all 'super' activities, be that superhero or villain. Now Ben will have the fight of his life to survive.
1. Only The Beginning

_Well folks, it's been a while. School has taken its toll on me and I've finally found the time to get back to what I really like to do; create stories. In an effort to continue my power, I've decided to start off with the second part of Kick Ass: Tales of the Liberator, which is what you're about to read. I warn you; this story will be bloodier. It will be nastier. It will be downright worse in every moral way possible than the first. But one this is for sure…It will be better. I've planned this story from the beginning, and at every twist and turn you will be shocked and amazed at what happens next. Only time will tell. Without further delay, enjoy chapter one of KICK-ASS: THE TRIALS OF THE LIBERATOR!_

I had to catch my breath as the mob behind me was still chasing me. I turned a corner and leaned against the wall, gasping for breath in a hope of being able to have a break from this madness. I've been running for only twenty minutes, but it's been full on sprint practically across the city. As my second was up, I pushed myself of the wall, just as they came around the corner for me.

I ran as fast as my lungs would allow me to run. The blood dripping over my left eye caused impartial blindness, making me weaker and weaker with each frantic, dashing step I took. The sounds of a riot kept getting louder and louder behind me as I rounded another corner, heading down an alleyway towards a brightly lit street.

That's right, folks. We're getting to that part soon enough. But we aren't quite there yet. For those of you rambunctious rugrats that decided to skip the first story that was only a six chapter read, it isn't that bad. Seriously, it was that short and easy. Barely over 17,000 words spread over 6 chapters, making it about 2833 words each chapter. Seriously, go read the first part. It has a bunch of juicy tidbits that you just can't miss.

My name is Ben Thatcher (Nice to meet you). This is only part two of my story, so let's just get right to it, shall we? We'll start a few months from where we left off, but allow me to tell you what's happened in the three months since you read my exploits in the first part (Last chance to go and do it for those of you who didn't!)

After the fall of HQ, the organization where I learned what it takes to be a hero, I decided to rebuild it, this time bringing together more heroes than ever before. Our numbers are nearly at the one thousand mark, and if you think that's big for New York, think again. Granted, most of those number ARE in New York, but there's a large chunk in Chicago AND Los Angeles, the locations of our two other HQ bases in the nation. It's still an underground organization, much like before, but now we don't have to deal with a possible raid due to our more…secretive operations

I never spoke to Trisha again. I've moved on, and have since gotten to know Combustion better. She hasn't exactly responded the way that I would have hoped (I'm still healing a bit from my last advance) but has shown some interest…at least I think she has. I don't exactly read Cosmopolitan, so I don't know this shit.

Kevin is rotting in jail with all his other super villain buddies, except Psycho, who's still at large. Not much else to say there. I mean, what else would have happened?

I never told Dave about Kevin. It would have broken his heart to a point that I'm sure he would have gone insane. He's a sensitive soul, and the last thing I want is to rip that from him by telling him the his best friend (aside from me) was a super villain that had nearly killed him and he entire city of New York.

As for myself, I graduated High School only a month ago, fifty fourth in my class (there were about 200, so that's pretty damned good!). I've helped to rebuild HQ, which I already mentioned, and sent Killswitch and X-Factor (He went into hiding after the HQ raid) to help run the Chicago and Los Angeles branches respectively.

That's just about it for the recap, but let me tell you something; this is nothing compared to what is to come. Like I've said before, this is the second part of my story, the second epic chapter in my tale of heroism. This chapter is bloodier. This chapter is sexier. This chapter is going to KICK YOUR ASS!

This is **KICK-ASS: THE TRIALS OF THE LIBERATOR!**

Things have been kind of slow lately. Not that much to do in the ways of super hero work other than training, and no school to go to until this Fall when I attended New York University. I had an interesting case a while back where I had to take out a small gang of idiots who didn't realize who I was, but that was because they didn't have an idea as to who THEY were either, being escaped amnesia patients from an Insane Asylum.

Most of the time, when I wasn't at 'work' (My excuse to my parents to leave each day. I told them I worked for a private firm as an intern, and that I would usually be back late), I would hang out with David, get calls on my private phone to open a new store (as the Liberator of course), or just sit around at home ad do absolutely nothing.

You have absolutely no idea how nice it is to just lie down on the couch and stare at the ceiling until you've spent every other second of your life looking over paperwork, training new recruits and simply being busy as hell.

As I stared at the ceiling for an hour, I recalled some of the things that had happened over the past few months. The fake will that Kevin had made making me a superhero; the training that I had to undergo to be able to actually hold my own in a fight; the raid of HQ; the final confrontation with Kevin…It's been a hell of a time for me, and aside from all the pain I had to endure, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

My cell phone rang at that point. I picked it up and answered the way I usually did.

"Ben Here."

"Ben, it's Crimson."

"Why are you calling me on my civilian phone?" I sat up, ready to hear something bad.

"I just wanted to…to talk."

"What about?"

"Just…something. I didn't want anyone else to know I was calling you, so I went into your office and looked for your number on your computer. I was hoping you could meet me somewhere."

"Sure…where did you have in mind?"

"Just meet me at HQ, okay? I'll see you here."

I sighed as I hung up the phone. The ceiling would have to wait.

= = = = = Some time later at HQ = = = = =

I slammed the car door of my 1999 Buick Regal (My Dad's idea of a graduation present. It was his, and he got himself a Dodge Charger) outside the Boris and Prime law firm. As I walked inside, a young man came alongside me, nodded, and went inside. I followed, only I went immediately to the left while he went straight. We were both headed to the same place, but that mattered very little at this point.

The Law Firm, I case you hadn't figured it out at this point, was a cover up for where our base was. We had the basement to ourselves, and had managed to expand that basement even further below ground to give ourselves more room.

As I exited the elevator, I had my mask slipped on and already was in my uniform, slightly changed since my first suit. It was made of a combination of superhero spandex like material and Kevlar, colored with the same dark blue and black trim that the mask that I had first picked up during the HQ raid from Doc's personal stash of weapons. All the Kevlar was put into certain positions to make me have the appearance of a much more muscular build, and it worked quite well to block bullets. On three occasions now I've almost been killed because of gunfire, and all three of those times the Kevlar had save my life. I was basically Batman (Minus the billions of dollars, mansion, babes, cool vehicles and the kick ass butler), and that was something I liked most about this job.

I walked down the hall, waving to a group training in the main training area as I passed. Another small group passed me in the hall, greeting me with enthusiasm as they were just about to head out to do their patrols. I finally reached my office, rebuilt in a similar fashion to the way Doc had his (In his honor) and entered, Crimson seated on top of my desk, waiting for me.

"Hey," she said quietly, not picking her head up to face me.

"Hey…what's up? You sounded kind of troubled on the phone."

"That's because I am." She stood and walked over to me, four inches from me, and looked me right in the eyes. "I'm troubled because of you."

I was startled, to say that least. I had no idea what she would say next, so I did what any guy would probably have said at that moment. "What do you mean?"

She went back to the desk, went behind it and sat in my chair. She swiveled it around, facing away from me, as I sat myself down in one of the chairs I had in front of my desk for people to come in and talk to me.

"My life was so much simpler before you came here," she began, and I felt like she was about to say that she was dying or something. "I had a good life as a hero. Fighting the occasional bad guy. Training new heroes. Then you came in after Combustion died, and I thought we had someone special, someone fresh and new. I had no idea how wrong I was at the time.

"I'll admit, you did a fairly better job at the training than most of the people. I'm guessing that's because you've have Tae Kwon Doe classes before joining, but that's probably just one thing. You soon grew better and we loved to have you around. Then the raid happened, and our little end all battle.

"Now, we have a larger group than before, I'm teaching more new recruits than I know what to do with, and you've helped us bring in a whole new era of superheroes. The genetic experiments are going off without a hitch, and crime has all but halted since Kevin was put away."

I stood and walked over to her in the chair by this point, and leaned against the wall, crossing my arms as I looked at her. "You haven't really answered my question."

"What I mean to say is that I ever expected to meet a guy like you. I've tried outside of my hero life, and it just seems so much more awkward and trivial, knowing that I have to keep all of this a secret from him. But with you I can be myself. "

"Go on."

"What I wanted to say….What I have been MEANING to say…is that I-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the alarm went off at my desk. I rushed over and went to the desk's built in screen, seeing where the problem was originating from. After I saw what was going down, I stood and looked to Crimson.

"Whatever it is it'll have to wait," I said, somewhat knowing what she might have to say to me. "We have to get to Washington D.C. and fast."

= = = = = Washington D.C., The White House, The Oval Office = = = = =

The president sat at his desk, a gun to his head. The man in front of him, known as Trigger, was holding the Shotgun with one hand as he told his minions to do other jobs. Trigger wore all black armor and Kevlar, similar to something that the Punisher from Marvel comics would wear. The only major difference was the mask he wore around his eyes, which acted as goggles to allow night and infrared vision at his command.

"What do you want?" The president asked, staying as calm as humanly possible when you have a gone pointed to your head.

"Just waiting for a few friends to show up," he said, his thick Australian accent making him sound a bit more threatening.

At that very moment, Psycho, accompanied by a tall woman, walked into the room. Psycho hadn't changed since the New York Incident. The Woman next to him, however, was new. She wore all black leather from head to toe, all of which was made of sexy lingerie. Her tight figure and large breasts were accentuated by the outfit. Over her eyes she wore a blindfold, one that she could obviously see through but would not allow anyone to see her eyes. Her hair reached below her butt, and in her hands she held a massive, seven foot whip. He belt was studded with small spikes, and had chains, another whip and handcuffs hanging down.

She walked over to the president and sat down on the desk, Trigger pulling the gun away from his head but still having it aimed at him. She spread her legs in front of him and stared at him for a moment.

"Well, hello Mr. President," she stated in a very sultry voice. She licked her lips as she slowly bent forward more and more, getting closer to him with every word. "I hope I'm not bothering you at work or anything."

"Who are you and what is this about?" stated the president, managing to stay very calm.

"Oh, we'll get to that in a moment. I just thought we could have a little…'fun' first." She flicked her hair away from her face and looked to Trigger. He nodded, knowing what is was she wanted him to do, and he motioned for two of his men to grab the president. They took him from his chair, and with little fight, pushed him to the couch. The woman handed them some hand cuffs and the kept him in place, making sure he couldn't move his arms or legs. Psycho walked over and put a collar around his neck, as well.

The woman, after the president was securely tied down, walked over and spread her legs, sitting herself on the presidents lap. Her D cup boobs were directly in his face and he didn't even flinch. Instead, he look up at her.

"What in God's name are you going to do to me?"

"Like I said, Mr. President. I just want to have a little fun!" She giggled a sexy little giggle before slowly sliding down to the floor, where she place her hands on his crotch. She brushed it up and down the area, making the President wince in protest.

"What's the matter, big boy?" she asked in a seductive voice, slowly beginning to unzip his pants. "Scared?"

"No, but YOU should be!"

The woman, Psycho, Trigger and his three minions looked at the doorway. Standing there with a shotgun in hand was me, The Liberator, as well as Crimson, X-Factor, Ghost and Arrow. We were kind of the head team for major situations like this, and this definitely for our attention.

"Oh Shit!" Psycho shouted, hugging himself. "The Fuzz!"

The woman smiled at me before standing, giving the president a wink. She slowly began to walk over, and three of us put our guns in the air. "If I were you I wouldn't move another inch!"

She laughed slightly, making her boobs bounce a bit. She looked right at me, and even though I knew I couldn't see her eyes, I knew they would have looked seductive enough to kill. "I wasn't harming the president at all."

"No, but Trigger there was!" stated X-Factor, who slowly walked forward, gun at the ready. "And I can only assume that he is in your employ, so you're as responsible as he is!"

"You are all here by under arrest!" Crimson stated, walking over to one of the minions and ripping the gun from his hand. She motioned for the other two and Trigger to do the same, and they did.

The woman seemed unphased. "Oh, you just want us to surrender, is that it? Submit to our will?"

"That's pretty much it, yeah!" Arrow stated, having run behind her and pinned her to the ground. She moaned when he did it, and it sort of took Arrow by surprise.

"Well, sugar. I have news for you." She managed to break out of his hold and pin him, something that took everyone by surprise, seeing as Arrow could be at near supersonic speeds. "I'm the Dominatrix! You submit to me!"


	2. Best Laid Plans

**Chapter Two**

**Best 'Laid' Plans**

I awoke three days later after a large chunk of shrapnel was lodged into my skull. Thankfully it didn't hit my brain, and there would be a pretty kick ass scar there for the rest of my life, so that's a plus…I guess.

Crimson and X-Factor had managed to take down Trigger and his goons; Ghost and Arrow managed to get the president out of there just in time. As for This new villain, the Dominatrix, she and Psycho got away.

My scalp really itched as I walked slowly out of the medical ward of base, a few of my students and allies applauding me as I walked by. I simply nodded and made my way to my office, closing the door behind me. I may be injured and out of commission for at least the next day, but there was still things I had to take care of.

I walked over to my desk and opened a drawer that contained a few files. Sifting through, I pulled out the one entitled 'VILLAINS.' After writing a few things down and drawing a rough sketch of The Dominatrix, I put that information into the file and put it back in the drawer.

I leaned back in my chair after that, pondering. Who the hell was this new threat? What are some of the ramifications of what went down? Will the United States Government retaliate?

As if to answer my questions, Crimson walked in holding two cups of hot chocolate, a newspaper resting in her left hand. She was fully dressed in her hero garb, save for the mask. We've gotten comfortable enough with each other that we didn't need them on all the time.

"How you feeling?" she asked, placing the hot liquid in front of me.

"Head's itchier than Hell, but I'll get by."

"She sat down in one of the leather chairs across from my desk and laughed. "You gave us a bit of a scare there. One more inch to the right and I'd have to take this office from you."

"Oh, you sound so heartbroken," I stated sarcastically, and we both laughed. I took a small sip of the chocolaty confection and looked at the Newspaper Crimson had. "What's with the paper?"

She seemed to hesitate at first, but soon handed me the paper. I took it and looked at the front page:

"SUPER VILLAIN GROUPS ATTACK PRESIDENT; LIBERATOR INVOLVED?"

I couldn't believe what I had just read. I was the one who helped saved that fat fuck and now he was blaming this whole thing on me? According to the article, The Dominatrix had somehow began to say that I was the one who organized this whole attack, and that she was a simple bystander who was sent in against her will to do his dirty work.

"This is complete bullshit!" I shouted so loudly that a few of the people passing by my all glass office door stopped and looked. They soon passed, but my anger didn't. "I'm the reason that asshole still has the ability to breath! There's fucking security footage of the incident all over the internet and with the fucking FBI! How the hell could they think that I'M responsible?"

"It's the media, Ben," Crimson stated, taking back the paper and sitting back down. "They'll do anything to get papers sold. Even out the most famous hero in all of New York and the United States."

"I have to do something about this before it gets out of hand!"

"It's too late for that."

Both Crimson and I pulled firearms as we faced the source of the unknown voice. Leaning against the wall to my right was a man neither of us had seen before. He wore a long black trench coat that reached to his knees, dark blue jeans, a black shirt with a weird symbol on the front in white and a white headband across his eyes. I wasn't sure if he was blind, or that was just for show and the material was see-through.

"Who the hell are you and how did you get in here!" I demanded, slowly stepping forward, gun at the ready.

"You're already too late to do anything about you're involvement in the White House Incident, you know."

"Explain yourself!" Crimson demanded, the barrel of her gun nearly an inch from his face. He looked up at her and gave a small smile before standing straight up. He looked about 6' 2", when he wasn't hunched over.

"The government and Army are already in high amounts of mobilization. They have bases on full combat alert, and rumors of a secret squad are in place, one that is supposed to make S.H.I.E.L.D from Marvel comics look like a Boy Scout troop."

I slowly began to lower my gun; Crimson kept hers on him. "What are you trying to say?"

He didn't respond right away. Instead, he walked away from the wall and towards the door of my office. Before he left, he turned his head and looked right at me (Or at least I think he did).

"Time will tell if you truly are prepared for what is ahead, Liberator. Only time already has spoken."

He left without another word. The second the door closed Crimson unloaded her gun and looked to me.

"What the hell was that all about? Who was that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, by this point," I stated, looking back to the wall…then I noticed something I hadn't before. I walked over to the wall, and taped to it, right where that guy had been standing, was a small piece of paper. I grabbed it and turned it around to read the four words scrawled on it in Permanent Sharpie Marker.

_Just Call Me Rogue_

"Rogue…" I barely even realized I muttered it out loud. Crimson took the paper from me and read it herself, giving me a questioning look. After my shrug, we went back to drinking our hot cocoa and chatting idly into the night, as we often did as of late. If I didn't know any better, I'd call these times dates.

= = = = = White House. 12:43 AM. Three Days after the White House Incident = = = = =

The President couldn't sleep. This had been his first assassination attempt, and he had never expected it to be anything like that, let alone to happen to him at all.

He got out of his bed, leaving the First Lady to snooze silently in the dark of the Lincoln Bedroom where they slept. Walking to the door, we knocked three times, allowing the guards outside to know he had intentions of going into the Oval Office at this late hour.

They permitted him through and followed him there. All along the way armed guards stood, many with assault rifles and shotguns, saluting him as he passed. Security had been nearly tripled since the attack, and anyone without level 2 clearance or guard status wasn't allowing with fifty feet of the president upon risk of death.

Seating himself in his chair, he dismissed the guards from the office as he pushed a single button on his phone. The phone rang for a brief moment before someone on the other end picked up.

"You're up late, Mr. President," stated Army General Jacob" Scarface" Koons. His nickname came from the massive scar that ran from his left eye down across his face towards the right side of his chin. He had gotten in what a helicopter had blown up thirty feet from the ground above him in Vietnam. He was lucky to have lived.

"Can't sleep before major announcements," he stated, leaning back in his chair. "Is everything ready?"

"We have strike teams ready at nearly fifty confirmed targets, all awaiting my orders. Those orders, of course, can't be given without yours, sir."

"I know that, General. Team HH is in full preparation for the next few days?"

"Better than ready, sir. Anxious. Excited. Ready to die if needed to defend their country from these threats to freedom."

"Good." He paused for a moment to light himself a cigar, taking a few puffs and dumping the ash into an ashtray before returning to the call. "Send them in, General."

"I won't hesitate another moment." The General hung up the phone at that point, clearly ready to distribute orders.

The President stood and looked out the window of the Oval Office. The cigar rested between his teeth as he watched the rain lightly fall.

"Soon my worries will be over." A smile came to his face as he finished the cigar and returned to bed. He didn't wake for the rest of the night. Tomorrow was a big day for him.

= = = = = HQ. 12:31 PM. Minutes before the President's Announcement = = = = =

HQ was in mass panic over the events on the night before. In a stirring upset, nearly sixty of the heroes I had helped trained and befriended were arrested in their beds. Some of them got away and warned others. Many went into hiding, and HQ was a mass of trying to warn other heroes and find shelter.

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded as the news reports showed the events of last night.

"Must be some privately funded group of anti-hero commandoes," Ghost stated, watching the TV intently.

"Not possible," Arrow stated." Look at those uniforms; those are U.S. military all right. Up-to-date and slightly improved by the looks of them."

"This was no freak coincidence," Crimson stated into my ear. "There were a lot of good heroes arrested, many of them well known."

"Looks like we'll have to see what our beloved Commander-In-Chief has to say about all of this," Ghost stated, pointing to the TV. The President had announced a Press Conference for today about two hours after the events that went down last night. Either he was involved, or wanted to shift blame away from himself. I sure as hell hoped it was the latter.

The President stood in front of the podium, nearly thirty microphones inches from his mouth. Cameras flashed as reporters took his picture, all anxious to hear what he had to say.

"My fellow Americans," he began, regardless of this being a worldwide broadcast. "For the nearly two years now, we've had superheroes walking our streets. The one who called himself Kick-Ass was the first, but certainly wasn't the last. Any of you will remember the more recent events with the hero known as The Liberator, who saved us all from a truly trying time indeed.

"I stand before you today in the hopes of shedding light upon the events of last night. Reports say that sixty four people of varying ages were jailed last night, having been pulled from their families, their homes. These people were threats to America, and possibly the world itself.

"Three days ago, I was attacked in the Oval Office by a woman calling herself the Dominatrix, the latest in a long line of Super Villains. I was nearly killed in the battle that took place, and am lucky to be alive.

"But I do not stand before you today to relive the past. I stand before you today to show a glimpse of the future!" He pointed past the crowd as the cameras panned and turned to see what he was pointing to.

Within seconds, a large platoon of jeeps, helicopters, and other military vehicles had surrounded the crowd, each with a HH symbol painted on them. Troops poured out of the vehicles wearing advanced and even mechanical looking armor, standing alongside the reporters and the President himself. The cameras panned back towards him as he began to speak once more.

"These highly skilled and heavily trained soldiers have been given a special task, one that they will uphold with the highest of honors. They are known as the Hero Hunters, and they will make sure that our land is kept safe from these so called 'heroes,' so that our children don't have to pass rubble in the streets each and every day. So that our future can be filled with prosperity, not despair! Ladies and Gentlemen, as of this very moment, it is illegal to be dressed as a superhero in the United States of America. All who are found guilty will be arrested on sight. Thank you."

The camera's flashed like crazy as the President walked away from the podium, leaving a flurry of reporters badgering him with questions that wouldn't be answered. All eyes turned towards me as I stood there, a look of shock and hatred on my face.

"Well, looks like Comic Con is cancelled for this year," Ghost stated, probably not meaning to do so out loud.


	3. Vendetta

**Chapter Three**

**Vendetta**

Things only went from bad to worse in those next few days. Over 400 people in New York City alone were arrested by these Hero Hunters for either suspicion or irrefutable proof that they were heroes or villains. Some of the harder criminals I knew were still out there got caught, and was thankful for that.

I haven't been to HQ in over a week. Too risky. Told my parents they gave me time off of work because I'd been doing such a good job, and would let me know when I could go back to work. Either way, half of the people in my base are now either missing, arrested, or even dead.

Crimson isn't one of them. She's still fighting the good fight, and understands why I can't be there. Or at least that's what she's told me. I still chip in on the phone (Private secure lies only) and we still converse. I just haven't seen her since the news dropped.

I was sitting in my room on my laptop when a knock came at the door. It opened, and my Dad poked his head in.

"Hey, how you doing?" He asked, letting himself in. I closed my laptop of sat up to face him.

"Not bad, I suppose. Kind of wish they'd let me get back to work soon."

"Yeah, still no word?" He sat down next to me.

"Not yet. So what's up?"

"Well, you're mother and I thought that tomorrow, seeing as we both have the day off, we could all go out together somewhere. You know, like a family?"

"I have a family?" I joked, and he chuckled.

"I figured its time went spent more than five minutes together. What do you say?"

"I say it sounds perfect to me, Dad." I smiled and gave him a hug as he walked out of the room. I always liked my father; he was never rough unless he needed to be, and he always had the right things to say.

"Oh," my Dad added as he poked his head back into my room. "The phone is for you. A girl who says she knows you from school."

Puzzled, I nodded and went to my phone. "Hello?"

"Ben, you have to help me!"

"Crimson? What's going on? Why are you calling me at my house?"

"Because you little fuck bag I'm in civilian clothes and didn't want to worry about phone tappers finding me on our recently exposed private line!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"No I'm not fucking kidding! I'm in deep shit here! I need some help!"

"Alright, Alright! Where are you! I'll come get you!"

"At an old warehouse somewhere near Queens. I managed to run from some Hero Hunters, but I have a feeling they're closing in fast!"

"I'll be there as soon as possible!" I barely even hung up the phone. I rushed out of my room, only grabbing a pistol and a bag that had a foldable shotgun in it, and ran for the door. I explained to my parents that I was going over to Dave's house, and they simply told me to not be home too late.

I reached the warehouse in question within minutes with my car. Pulling up, I casually walked over and let myself in, acting like I had been there before. As I entered, I saw all sorts of boxes and other storage devices scattered about.

"So you came."

I whirled about, pulling the shotgun out of my bag with lightning reflexes and unfolded in, aiming it at the voice. I lowered it the second I saw who it was.

"Rogue? What are you doing here? Where's Crimson?"

"That was me on the line. I needed to speak with you. Dire things are afoot, and I fear only you and a few others can help me."

= = = = = Hero Hunters Base; Cell Block 152; Codename Villain X = = = = =

Kevin sat alone in his cubicle, reading a book the guards had allowed him. Robert Paxton's _The Anatomy of Fascism_. As each day passed he became more and more intrigued with it, even writing footnotes in the margins to the point where every page was covered.

A glare of anger was frozen on his face. It had been that way since his plan had been thwarted by Ben and his rag tag bunch of numb skulled buffoons claiming to be heroes. He had heard about the Hero Hunters news during the lunch break at the containment facility, and burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Today was a special day for him. He was allowed a visitor. In the entirety of the time he had been in the facility, he had never had a visitor aside from the seventeen psychiatrists who had all tried to 'help' him. Three left with bloody noses, two with broken arms, another five with broken legs, two in comas and the other five in body bags. He didn't want their help.

The door to his cell opened and the guard (Brixton, James. Age 27. Family was held hostage in Times Square Attack) stood there, wearing full Kevlar and holding twin batons that had Tasers implemented into the ends.

"Let's go you little fuck stain," he stated, taking three steps towards Kevin, powering the electrical parts of the batons. "Your visitor doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"Let me finish this paragraph."

The guard slammed the baton across the back of his head, making him lose grip of the book and have it fall to the floor.

"I said NOW!"

Knowing full well he'd be tasered if he didn't comply, he simply picked up his book, placed it on his pillow and followed the guard. Outside of the cell, two more shackled his hands and feet together, a chain connecting the two, limiting his movements. He was also forced to wear a mask across his mouth, similar to Hannibal Lecter in _Silence of the Lambs. _

They led him down several hallways, some of which had as many as twenty armed guards at a security door. They had every intention of making sure the prisoners of this facility would stay in, and Kevin was no exception.

Finally they came to the cafeteria, where the meals were usually server. Being an hour early for lunch, however, it had been repurposed into a meeting place for Kevin's mysterious guest.

Entering the room, Kevin found that all the tables had been pushed to the sides, allowing for only a single table with two chairs to rest in the middle. Seated at the end opposite of him was a woman who was about thirty. She had long black hair tucked into a pony tail, wore dark red lipstick, had on a long black skirt and a bleached white blouse. He glasses seemed like a mix of a Goth and a librarian, and they suited her nicely.

She looked up from the papers she had been reading and smiled. "Hello X. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Why do you call me by such a stupid name? I'm not like V."

She smiled. "No, I suppose this isn't _V For Vendetta,_ now is it?" She looked to the guard with a smile. "Are these restraints really needed?"

"Under order from the leader himself."

"And I say they come off while I'm here. Or would you rather face me in combat again, Mr. Brixton?"

He hesitated before nodded, motioning for two of the other guards to remove hi shackles and bindings. Once done, they backed off, keeping close enough distance in case he tried anything.

"There," she stated, leaning forward a bit. "Isn't that better?"

"You must command a high amount of respect to be able to get that to happen."

"More than you could possibly know, X. Or would you rather I call you by your name?"

"You know my name? No one does! I made sure of that!"

"Well, Kevin. It appears you didn't do a good enough job of covering all your tracks."

He sat back, startled. She had found the one secret he had hoped to keep hidden. He had managed to erase his fingerprints and all records of his identity before falsifying his death, while at the same time making the guy he had hired to 'take his place' to be surgically grafted with his DNA and the works.

He stood, resting his hands on the tables. He leaned forward, getting within inches of her face. The guards began to move forward, but the woman motioned them to stay back.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

She smiled; a smile that he had to admit was sexy. "My name is Julia Framt. And I'm here to offer you a job."

= = = = = Warehouse. Queens. = = = = =

"So these Hero Hunters are a privately funded group hired by the defense department?"

Crimson had asked the question. I had put out a coded message to a few of the Heroes I know I could trust (Crimson, Ghost, Arrow, Ricochet, Haze and Gearhead). We had all met up at the warehouse, and from there move to a more secure location to talk with Rogue.

In response to Crimsons question, Rogue simply nodded.

"This is some bullshit," stated Gearhead. He was a Hispanic man about 24, who specialized in things that involve machines. He could hack into almost any database on the planet within seconds, and had managed to create an Iron Man Mark I style suit from scratch. It included a Gatling gun attachment in the right arm, several missiles, temporary flight and maximum mobility for a suit geared with all that tech. Ideally, it was a prototype. For the meeting, he didn't wear the suit.

"No shit, its bullshit," Ghost stated, taking a swig of some brandy he had brought with him. Since he had been 'out of the job' for the last week, he had taken up an old habit of his and started drinking again. He still took his pills to keep him from losing his invisibility powers, which was actually how he had gotten to this particular meeting. The bottle empty, he shook it to be sure and then tossed it behind him, crashing against a crate. "We haven't been able to stop crime in over a week!"

"We haven't had to, though!" Ricochet stated, standing up and sounding more pissed than anyone. He was a kid no older than me, but he was a hell of a lot smarter. He was raised military, and with knowledge given to him by both his general father and a love for physics, calculus and chemistry, had created his own personal arsenal of bouncing bombs, including Fragmentation grenades, Incendiary, Smoke, Stun and Tear Gas. He also had a special substance called Chemical Z, which he stated was only in a dire situation. "Those damned Hero Hunters are taking crime off the map! The civilians don't care if people get dragged from their homes; they just care to think that those Hero Hunters are doing it to protect them!"

"And that's just what they want them to think," Rogue spoke up, lying down on crate above the that rest upon two others. He was still in sight, if only barely.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He means they want to get rid of the Heroes and permanently institute their super-cops program."

"That would never fucking work!" stated Haze, who barely ever spoke. He was a case similar to Ghost and Arrow; he took special medication daily to give him a special power. While the medication gave Ghost his invisibility and Arrow the ability to move and super speeds, he had been given powers similar to Smoke from Mortal Kombat, wherein he could change his genetic structure from a solid to a gas, and become, as he liked to say, 'a haze.' "The population has grown up on stories of superheroes! Real life ones only make those stories a reailty!"

"Grow up, Jeremy!" Arrow shouted. Haze was Arrows, younger brother, and he never referred to him by his hero name outside of combat. "This isn't one of your shitty little Spider-Man comic books! This is real fucking life, with real fucking problems!"

"Arrow, calm down!" I demanded. The two of the separated after a brief apology.

"So what do we do?" Ghost asked after a moment of silence.

I looked to Rogue. "How sure are you that these Hero Hunters are privately funded?"

"100%. And by only one person. Who that is, I can't say."

"Then I know what we need to do, ladies and gentlemen. We need to figure out who is funding this program and shut them down. I don't care if it takes a week, a month, or even a year. We have to take that son of a bitch down before they can take us down!"

Cheers went up all around, and even Rogue I saw smile. The plans set, we divided into groups, all in civilian clothes, and left the meeting place, ready to converge and discuss at a later date.

= = = = = Office of Julia Framt. 8:23 PM. = = = = =

Julia sat at her desk and watched the TV. The Hero Hunters had just undergone another successful mission to take out a large group of rebellious Heroes, a few of the A-listers among them.

As she flicked the TV off, her assistant walked in.

"I'm leaving for the night, Mrs. Framt."

"Have you ever read _V for Vendetta, _Jerome?"

Jerome looked puzzled as he continued into the room. "Ma'am?"

"It was a comic book released some time ago by two men named David Lloyd and Alan Moore. It's about a fictional future where World War 3 occurs, and all the remains is a crushed a broken England soon taken over by Fascism. The story follows the events of how one man, one single, solitary man, slowly twiddles down the power of the Fascist government, making it free once more."

"I'm I afraid I don't follow you, Mrs. Framt." He sat himself down, his briefcase in his lap.

"That's what those blasted heroes are, Jerome. Terrorists. Warriors striving to enact their own Vendetta. You know what I think? I think they're all a damned disgrace!"

She swiped everything off of her desk I one fell swoop, turning away from her desk to look out the window.

"Is everything alright, Ma'am?" Jerome asked, slowly standing in order to protect himself.

"I went and saw him today, Jerome. I went and saw X."

"Ma'am?"

"And you know what?" She turned, a smile across her face but a tear rolling down her face. "He gave me the greatest idea of all time. Get me General Koons. I must speak with him at once. Then you are free to leave."


	4. Information

**Chapter Four: Information**

Life was dull without the constant need to go out and save someone. How anyone can just lie at home and do absolutely nothing after some of the things I've experienced is completely beyond me.

But thankfully that's not what I was doing right now. At that moment, I was plotting with Crimson. We had a plan, and we intended to see it through.

We intended to find out who this mysterious benefactor was who was funding these stupid Hero Hunters, and we had a plan to do so.

"You want us to take on some of the Hero Hunters?" Arrow sounded like he was about to break into laughter as he said that.

"It's the only way we can really find out who is pulling the strings here, isn't it?" Crimson always had my back, and that made me smile. "Sure, Ben can be a retard at times, but his plans DID get us through our last major catastrophe with X…I mean, Kevin."

"That was months ago," Gearhead stated. "Besides, that was one privately funded militia, not a full-fledged army. We're talking U.S military strength soldiers, real shoot-to-kill types."

"Listen," I began, going over the plan in my head for good measure. "We all knew the risks when we took this job, this lifestyle. There's no guarantee we can make it out of this with our necks, but we can't let this continue for the sake of humanity itself. I don't know about you all, but I'd rather not spend the rest of my life in a military controlled city."

They gave their individual agreements, and I continued. "All we need is a simple distraction while a strike team infiltrates the main compound. After we find out who the supplier is, we can cut the cord, so to speak."

"And how exactly is the strike team going to get into one of the most protected compounds on the face of the planet?"

"Here," I pointed to a schematic that detailed a sewer system underneath the compound. "If a team of maybe three people could navigate their way through this system and go up here, we'll be right next to the file room."

"How do you know for sure that's the room they keep the files?" Arrow asked, looking at the schematic. "I don't see any proof as to that being the room in question."

"Because I was there," Rogue stated, looking right at Arrow (at least I thought he was looking at him). "I was an employee of that establishment before they changed the building over to what it is now. They room had so many file cabinets that it would be damn near impossible to take them all out or move them elsewhere as quickly as they moved in. It's definitely there."

"Then it's settled."

"Why don't we just send in Arrow to get the files?" Ghost suggested.

"I have no objection to that," Arrow stated, cracking his knuckles.

"Because we can't afford for him to get caught," I stated. "You're one of the only people we have left that has the super speed perk. If we lose you, things will only get more complicated for us."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Crimson was a little too chipper about this, I think. "Who will be going with you, Ben?"

"You and Rogue. I need Gearhead, Ricochet and Haze to make a distraction near Central Park. Ghost and Arrow, you get Times Square. If things get hairy at either location, get out as fast as possible, the two fastest from each group being Arrow and Gearhead with his Mech suit. Any questions?"

Several head shakes later, The meeting was adjourned, and we departed to take part in our little plan.

= = = = = Hero Hunters HQ = = = = =

"So I was plowing this girl, right, and she's screaming for more!"

Two security guards were seated at The Terminal, a massive network of cameras placed throughout New York that monitored everything. Their job was to report any 'hero' activity.

"You're sick, Mike," stated Joey as he bit into his Subway sandwich.

"Man, you should have seen her, though. Tits as big as my head and a body that was to die for!"

"I get all that, but you need to lay off the details."

"What, didn't want to know what her ass felt like around my cock?"

"Not in the slightest," Joey stated, turning back to the cameras. Something caught his eye as he typed at the keyboard, zooming in on Camera 182, Central Park East.

"Check this out! We got Heroes!"

"I got some here too!" Mike stated, pointing to Camera 304, Times Square Northwest. "Looks like those Heroes Ghost and Arrow from the TV."

"I got a bunch I've never seen before. Is that one turning into smoke?"

"We better phone this in!" Mike grabbed the phone and dialed out, alerting the proper people to the situation.

= = = = = Under Hero Hunter HQ = = = = =

"It smells worse than my grandmother's house in here," Crimson stated, stepping softly as they traversed the sewers.

"It's not all that bad," I stated, rounding a corner and catching a whiff of something foul beyond foul. Through gasps I managed to say "Then again…"

"We must be close," Rogue stated, moving ahead of me. We followed him, sticking close with weapons at the ready.

"So I've been meaning to ask, Rogue. Why the eye cover?"

"To protect myself and those I love."

"What do you mean? Until a few days ago, I didn't even know you existed. How is anyone going to find out who you are?"

"You may not have known me before, but there are people looking for me. That's a problem I don't want my family wrapped up in." He turned, pointing ahead of him. "There's the ladder. Keep quiet."

We approached quietly, Rogue taking the lead up the ladder. When he gave the all clear, we followed, stepping out of the sewer and into what appeared to be a janitors closet.

"Just down the hall is the file room," Rogue stated, pointing in the general direction. "I'll stay here and cover the exit. If you set off an alarm, however, I'm out of here."

"Understood," I said, trying to hide the thought of being caught from entering my mind.

Crimson poked her head out the door, looking down the empty hallway. No cameras or soldiers, at least none that she could see. She motioned for me to follow, and I did.

Three doors down and on the left was the File Room. We found it easily and were in within seconds. The room was packed all to wall with file cabinets, much like Rogue had said.

"Come on," I said, starting to look at the Cabinet fronts for organization related purposes. "Let's find out who our mysterious enemy truly is."

= = = = = Times Square = = = = =

Ghost appeared next to a few people and scared them to hell. They ran quickly, but were stopped by Arrow, who simply stood there.

"Oh God, Ghost!" Arrow began, sounding like they had rehearsed and he was reciting his lines in a poor way. "They have seen us. What will we do?"

"Dude," Ghost began. "You are a HORRIBLE actor."

"At least I HAVE talent! I was already a track star before I got this extra speed. What did you do to get yours? Play Hide and Seek?"

"Now's not the time!" Ghost stated, pointing past Arrow "We've got company!"

Arrow turned to see a small platoon of Hero Hunters, all armed with assault rifled and wearing advanced riot armor, heading their way. Arrow simply smiled and cracked his neck.

"One distraction, coming up!"

He ran forward, straight at the group of soldiers, and began to run at breakneck speeds around and around them. The force of him running started to make the soldiers lose balance and eventually follow the winds, some getting picked up off the ground. Practically all of them lost their grip on their weapons.

"Let's see what you got now!" Ghost stated, grabbing one of the weapons as it flew into his arms. Arrow ceased running, the soldiers still dizzy and disoriented. He ran up next to Ghost, who handed him the gun. Ghost went invisible, and began to beat on the soldiers with his specially designed batons. They would go invisible as he did, making him even more of a threat. I'd explain the science behind how that's even possible but I don't understand it myself. Gives me a headache.

The soldiers were taken out one by one, sometimes hitting one another by mistake. Arrow laughed openly as the Slapstick continued, until he got a call.

"Yeah? Got it!" He hung the phone up. "Ghost! Abort!"

Ghost nodded (Arrow couldn't see it) and jumped onto Arrow's back. Before the soldiers knew what was happening, the heroes were gone.

= = = = = Central Park East = = = = =

Gearhead let a volley of missiles out of the launchers located on the pack of his suit. He designed it after the Mark I suit from Iron Man, but tried to include aspects of the one from District 9 in its design. One of the features, which he used to take out a building window by mistake, was a pulse wave, generated from solar energy.

"My bad!" he shouted, preparing his Gatling gun for the incoming tanks. Ricochet, however, did't hesitate for a moment.

With cat like reflexes and agility, he rushed forward grabbing three bombs from his chest belt. He threw the first one (A fragmentation grenade), at the base of the tank. The tank fired but missed, and he took the opportunity to jump onto it and open the hatch, taking the other two grenades (Smoke and Flash) and tossing them in. He jumped off as the grenades went off inside, and the Frag sent the tank whirling backwards into the air. It did a full 360 before landing on its treds once more.

"That was fun!" Ricochet shouted to Haze, who was dealing with a few ground troops. All of them were trying to shoot at him, but he was in smoke form and the bullets passed through him.

"Not gonna lie!" He shouted back. "That was actually kind of cool!" Focusing his attention back to the soldiers, he went into a full smoke mode, disappearing from sight. As the soldiers looked around, one of them began to twitch and convulse, smoke pouring out his eye sockets, ears and nose. One of the other soldiers, not wanting to have his friend die in such a way and hoping to hurt Haze, opened fire on the soldier. Three of the bullets reflected off the armor and hit two separate soldiers in the legs, while three more shots went and pierced the skin of his dying friend.

Gearhead shouted towards Ricochet and Haze that it was time to go. Haze finished his outpour and went over to Gearhead, who activated the jets on his feet. With Ricochet attached and Haze in a canister, they took to the skies, leaving a thick black cloud of smoke behind them.

= = = = = Moments before the calls were made to both teams, Back at Hero Hunter HQ = = = = =

I kept digging for the file as Crimson did the same on the other side of the room. After another moment or two, she called me over, and they looked at the file labeled "Funding."

"Let's get out of here!" I stated, heading for the door. As I slowly opened the door to look out, two guards turned to corner into the hallway. Thankfully, they faced away from where Crimson and I were, so we were able to pass by them and back into the sewers undetected.

"Did you get it? Rogue asked. I handed him the file and he smiled. "Let's get going. I'll contact Arrow and Gearhead."

= = = = = At Ben's House, 12:52 AM = = = = =

We decided the best place to gather was my place, outside of our disguises of course. We all went to my place close to 1 in the morning, and thankfully, my parents had left me a note stating they would be out of town for the next few days.

In my room upstairs, Rogue opened the folders we had found. We looked them over (We learned then and there that the blindfold he had was only for show), and couldn't find a single iota of information as to who was funding the Hero Hunters.

"Well shit," stated Gearhead bluntly, taking another sip of his Mountain Dew. "We did all that fucking shit for nothing?"

"Not nothing," Rogue stated, still looking at the files. "These plans o detail several of their manufacturers and suppliers, so we could just as easily cripple them with this stuff."

"But we'd have to take out numerous big name corporations to do so," Arrow stated, looking over Rogues shoulder. "Microsoft, Sysco…Fuck, even the damned U.S. military is on here!"

"So what are we going to do?" Crimson asked me as the others continued to bicker over the details.

"I have a few ideas," I stated with a smile. "And I have a feeling at least one of them is just the one we need."


	5. Things Get Interesting

Sorry this took so long to do. I had a bit of a snag when it came to the storyline (Mainly because the plans I had drawn out ahead of time got lost), and School was taking it's toll. I'll try to get this and another story up dated at least once a month, so bear with me. I'm a college Art student, so I have a ton my plate. Without further stalling for time, Here's Chapter 5.**  
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**Chapter Five: Things Get Interesting**

"Well that didn't go as planned," Ghost stated, his hands held in the air like mine were. All around us were seventy heavily armed Hero Hunters, ten of which had sniper rifles trained on his head and mine.

"The plan's not over yet, Ghost," I assured him, scanning around me. Not a single one of the soldiers seemed to waver as I did, each still training their rifles at my skull.

"Stop talking!" The one closest to me shouted, moving close enough to have the barrel an inch from my nose.

"Alright, alright!" I shouted back, moving in line as they began to move us towards the door of the warehouse. The massive Garage like door began to move upwards, the seventy Hero Hunters moving in sync towards it. The light blinded us, but I knew what was on the other side…

As eyes began to adjust to the light, a small orange present was in the middle of the area, wrapped with a pretty red bow.

"Charlie! Davis!" I heard the Head Hunter say. "Check it out!"

Two of the soldiers, obviously named Charlie and Davis, walked forward, guns trained on the package, like someone was going to pop out and shoot them with heavy machine guns or something. As they moved ever closer, the smile on my face grew bigger and bigger, as did the one on Ghost's. Our plan was working.

Charlie and Davis both were mere inches from the package with their gun, Charlie using the barrel of his gun to slowly lift off the wrapping. They both tightened as the lid came off, their barrels fixed on the package. The lid slid off…and inside…was a small piece of paper. Charlie leaned in, reading what it said aloud.

"Turn Around?" he said puzzled.

"Uh…Charlie?" Davis began, tapping Charlie's shoulder. Charlie looked at him, and Davis was looking behind them, white as a ghost. Charlie looked too, and behind them was me and Ghost, only now their fellow Hero Hunters we unconscious all around our feet, Arrow, Gearhead, Crimson, Rogue, Ricochet and Haze stood amongst them, looking menacing.

"Yeah…" I began, walking forward slowly. The two of them were in so much shock that they didn't even raise their guns. "Looks like you boys are boned."

They looked at each other and dropped their guns to the ground, hands raised in the air.

"H-How?" Davis asked as he got down to his knees, his hands now tied behind his back.

"Did you honestly think it would be this easy to catch the leader of the Resistance?" Ghost stated, looking towards me. "Who do you think sent in the tip to the police? Why do you think we gave up so easily?"

"What are you going to do to us?" Charlie asked, now in tears.

"To you guys? Nothing." I kneeled before him, getting eye level with him. "That is…so long as you cooperate."

He burst into a crying fit, and Ghost punched him to knock him out. "Can't stand crybabies."

I smiled the best smile I could and knelt before Davis, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now, Davis was it? Are you going to help us with what we want, or do I have to have Gearhead over there, the one in the big robot suit thing, use your own tazer against you, but with triple the voltage?"

"I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK!"

"I thought so. Arrow! Bring them into Base 17. Ghost! Haze! Get us out of here."

Arrow nodded and rushed forward with his super speed, picking up Davis and bringing him to our temporary base. He'd be going so fast that even if Davis managed to keep his eyes closed, he wouldn't know where they were going. Ghost used his ability to try and make use each invisible, while Haze made a massive fog all around the area. Within the next few seconds, ambulances, police cars, and back up Hero Hunters arrived, but we were gone.

= = = = = Hero Hunters Headquarters = = = = =

Julia walked with a bad aura around her down the hallway, people jumping of her way as she headed for the main control room. She burst through the doors, slamming the folder she had been given on the nearest edge of the table.

"Would someone like to tell me what the fuck this shit is about?"

The commanding officer stepped forward, saluting before he began. "The latest report from the field, ma'am."

"I get that, you shitball! What I want to know is how a squad of your soldiers, trained with the highest training that the American, Russian and Iranian militaries have to offer, were bested by a bunch of idiots in tights, and how they managed to get one of our men in the process!"

"Well, ma'am-"

"Shut the fuck up!" She slammed a fist across the man's face, sending him to the ground. "It was rhetorical, you twit!" She quickly collected her composure and walked over to her seat. "Now…tell me we have a fix on his tracking chip…"

"We have it, ma'am," stated one of the flunkies at a monitor, not looking her way for fear of being hit.

"Excellent. Send in all available units to the location. I want these renegades taken care of and I want them taken care of NOW!"

"That might be easier said than done, ma'am," Stated the same man.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" She demanded, rushing over to the monitor. "Where the fuck are they?"

= = = = = Base 17. The Heart of Three Mile Island, 5,000 feet below the surface = = = = =

Davis slowly awoke, his entire body aching from the hours upon hours of interrogation. His left eye was shut and swollen beyond comprehension, and his right eye was fast approaching that state of swelling as well. The taste of blood was all he could taste, and all he could smell was sweat, blood and urine.

"Oh good," came a voice from his right. "You're awake again. Looks like we get to continue our little game."

The voice was Haze, who stood next to his brother Arrow. Arrow was leaning against a wall, biting into a sandwich, not really paying any attention to Haze or Davis.

"Please…" Davis managed to get out, pain shooting throughout his body. "I….I told you all I know…"

"Now, I'm not really buying that, Davis," Haze stated, making sure the light shined brighter in his one not fully swollen eye. "We got a few more things out of your friend Charlie, and might I say, he sure had a few choice things to say about you."

Davis said nothing. His heart skipped a beat from exhaustion and he shit himself, losing control of his bowels.

"Now, I'm going to ask you this one more time," Haze began, putting a pair of hedge clippers to Davis' right wrist. "Who do you work for? And I don't mean the Hero Hunters. I want to know who is in charge!"

He sobbed softly for a moment, before muttering something.

"What was that, Davis?"

He lifted his head, crying softly still. "Her name is Julia…Julia T. Framt." His head bobbed downward, having lost consciousness once more.

= = = = = Hours Later. New HQ Leaders Meeting Room = = = = =

"Who the hell is Julia T. Framt?" Gearhead asked, taking a bite of his Meat Lover's Pizza he had brought.

"According to CIA Files, she's some unknown person that they aren't allowed to touch," Rogue stated, staring at the computer screen in front of him, somehow still able to see through his blindfold. "She started donating money to numerous branches of the agency and others, including the FBI, Homeland Security, even to the damned President himself! Her schedule is pretty tight, no matter what time of day…"

"Anything of interest?" I asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Well, the only hole I see is here." He pointed to small gap in her schedule we had pulled up from the Hero Hunter's Database. They either have a shitty firewall, or we just have the best hackers around. "It's from a little while ago, and it's the only one I've been able to find The only evidence that she actually did something is one that same day, at that same time, Cellblock 152 in the Hero Hunter's Cellblock was opened."

"Why is that so important?" Crimson asked, practically orgasming from the taste of her specially made pizza. Wheat Crust with pepperjack cheese, pineapple, pepperoni and peppers…she liked things that started with the letter "P" on her pizza apparently…

"Because that happens to be the cell of Villian X, or as our dear friend Ben here knows him, Kevin."

"Son of a bitch," Haze stated, slumping in his chair a bit.

"Why would that worry us in any way?" I asked, knowing I might regret it.

"Why would she want to talk with him? And, to add further insult to injury, I just did a bit more research, and someone named Kevin Xavier started working on a top secret project at the same time. No doubt that's a codename for him. As for the project, they either have that information stashed on a separate server or flash drive, because I can't seem to find anything on it. The only thing I could find is the name Project 17."

"What could Project 17 mean?" Gearhead questioned.

'What are they planning?' I thought to myself…Hopefully, I would find out soon. And I would…

= = = = = Hero Hunter's Base. Basement Level 17. Top Secret Construction Facility = = = = =

Julia stood in the elevator, the two guards standing as still as possible to either side of her, clutching their guns as if they had to in order to stay alive. Julia had a single folder in her hands, a small but seductive smile on her face.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, the faint smell of metal and solder filling the small enclosure.

She turned to face the guards. "I won't be in need of your assistance. Feel free to take a break. But before you do, tell Mr. Krane to execute Operation Reveal."

They nodded, not wanting to take her in a fight and thankful for the break. She walked out and the door closed behind her, the guards leaving her alone in the room. She took a few steps forward, the sight of a large tank like structure in front of her. It resembled the vehicle Batman drives in those Christopher Nolan Batman films…you know what I'm talking about.

A lone figure was crouched on the top of the vehicle, soldering a metal plate into place. The welding mask he wore covered his face entirely, the faint glow of the torch resonating off it.

"Been busy with our little project I see," Julia stated, seating herself down at a table with two chairs, one across from her. The figure looked up, stopped soldering and jumped down from the vehicle.

"I still think this is all part of your plan to eventually kill me," Kevin stated sitting himself down in the chair after taking the mask off.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I haven't been given a break in the last 10 hours, and I've only had about 7 hours of sleep in the past two days. Either this is torture, you're trying to kill me, or you're just a bitch."

"Now, is that anyway to talk to the woman who is giving you freedom?"

"I wouldn't really call this freedom…"

"Well how about this then?"

She placed the folder down onto the table, making sure Kevin could see it. She leaned back, adjusting her glasses. He reached forward, grabbing the folder, and began reading. As he read, the smile on his face grew bigger and bigger. Eventually, he turned to face her.

"If I didn't know any better, Mrs. Framt, I'd say you were coming onto me."

"Oh Kevin," she began, leaning forward enough to where he could see her magnificent cleavage. "Let's just say I want more out of you than just a few cheap thrills and a one way ticket to the world." She winked at him as she stood, turning away from him. He sat back, ready to put his mask back on, and ready to begin working again.

He stopped himself when he saw her turn back around, her blouse unbuttoned and showing her black laced bra. He sat stiff, this being the first time in a long while he'd seen a woman's anything.

"Do you want me, Kevin?" she asked, walking forward and straddling his lap.

He stuttered for a moment, debating on whether or not to grab her tits. "I think I would, Mrs. Framt."

"Please, Kevin," she said, taking her shirt off entirely and unclipping the back of her bra. "It's Julia."

= = = = = New HQ = = = = =

"Anything yet, Rogue?"

"I didn't have anything when you ask me five minutes ago, Haze. What honestly makes you think I'd have anything now?"

"Leave him alone, Haze," I yelled from across the room before Rogue could choke the boy to death. "Help us get this thing ship shape."

"I honestly don't see the point in doing this," Gearhead stated. "I have a freakin' giant robot suit. Why the hell would we need an armored van too?"

"Because how would the rest of us get out of a situation?" Arrow stated. "Your suit can only hold one safely; maybe two if you want to drive like a drunk, retarded monkey."

"Let's just get this done," Ghost stated, shutting the hood to the engine. "The thing is super charged and ready to go, and I don't know about you all but I'm fucking tired."

"I now I am," Haze stated, sitting down. Arrow practically appeared next to him, shoved a wrench in his hand, and pointed to the car.

"What's our plan of attack anyways, Ben?" Crimson asked me quietly as we worked on putting padding on the inside of the car for our safety.

"We hold out and wait for them to make the next move. We know who their leader is, and if this Hero Hunter this is making her as confident as I think it is, then she's about to make a silly and costly move."

"I think she's just about to," Rogue shouted. We all rushed over to his computer, where a video was being broadcast on CNN. It showcased the front of the White House, and the tagline stated "HERO HUNTER'S SHOCKING ANNOUNCEMENT."

"This can't be good," Gearhead stated.

Julia Framt, The President, and a few business men walked up to the stage, Julia taking to the microphone alongside the President.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the United States," The president began. "The woman standing next to me is Julia Framt, and she is the woman who made the Hero Hunters, the organization we all have come to know and love, possible. She is here today to announce something of great importance."

He stepped aside and Julia took the mic, accepting a small applause.

"Thank you. As the President stated, I am Julia T. Framt, Leader of and Lead Financial Supporter of the Hero Hunters Organization and Militia. I am here today to deliver news of great import, so that each and every American citizen, as well as the people of the world, can better prepare themselves for what might happen next.

"Yesterday, during our routine scan of the nation, we have located the man known as the Liberator, otherwise known as Public Enemy Number One."

My heart sunk into my foot, slingshot out of my throat and went back into position. I knew X had a hand in this, and I knew who was going to pay.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, The Liberator." He held up my picture, and I'm pretty sure all color fell from my face. My heart stopped for three seconds before I could comprehend her next sentence.

"His name is Benjamin Thatcher. He lives in New York City, and is to be turned into the authorities immediately. Anyone seen with him, protecting him, or not turning him in, will be immediately arrested or killed on sight. And Benjamin," She stared right at the screen, and I swear she looked right at me. "Checkmate."

Rogue shut the screen off, looking towards me. Everyone did.

I looked at them, and without a word, took my mask off, placed it on the table, and began to walk away.

"Ben! What are you doing?" Crimson demanded of me.

"Turning myself in," I stated, trying to bite back tears. "The only thing that will happen to you guys if you keep following my orders is you'll be killed. I can't handle that. I'm going to do the noble thing and save you all from a fate worse than mine."

"You can't!" Crimson stated, running up to me and holding me back. "This fucking group of rag tag heroes needs you to keep your shit together and get us through this. I'm no leader, and you are the only fucking person who knows what the fuck to do somehow!"

"Crimson," I began, placing my hands on hers. "I love you."

She was taken aback, removing her hands from mine and stepping back slightly. "Wh….what?"

"I've been in love with you since the end of the events with X. You're the best girl I know, and I honestly don't know your real name. I've had plenty of chances to find out through your files, through family, but I never did, because I respect you. When you're ready, you'll tell me." I turned around once more, took a deep sigh and began walking.

"Ben…" Crimson started, but whatever she was going to say was choked out by the tears that came rolling down her cheeks. Arrow rushed in front of me, blocking my path.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Arrow demanded, punching me across the face. I slowly stood, wiping blood from my mouth. "You think because you're public enemy number one you can fucking leave us! Crimson is right! We need you here!"

"Don't do this, Arrow," Gearhead began.

Rogue said nothing. He rushed over to the scene, swept his feet out from under him, and nearly as fast as Arrow pulled a knife from his bootleg and placed it as Arrow's throat.

"Leave him alone," Rogue stated.

"Rogue! Enough!" I pulled Rogue off of Arrow, and helped the fast kid up. "I'm not doing this to be selfish. For once in my life, I'm thinking like a true leader. You guys just…you just have to trust me."

Arrow stood there for a moment, looking angry as ever, before sighing and stepping aside.

"Thank you," I said to him, and reached for the door.

"Ben!" Crimson ran up, hugging me before I could go anywhere. I hugged her back, resting my head on her shoulder. She pulled back, looking at me with tear soaked eyes. "Remember all those days ago, before Dominatrix attacked? I was going to tell you something but got interrupted by the warning…And that thing is this; I love you, Ben. And I don't want you to go."

She pulled me into another hug, resting her head close to my ear, crying softly. I held her like I had always wanted to, like I had dreamed about doing for so long. She picked her head up for a moment, bringing her mouth to my ear.

"My name is Jasmine."

I smiled a little as I looked at her, now knowing her name. I pulled her into a bigger hug, and this time, I leaned in to whisper into her ear.

"Commence Order 172-A."

Her eyes widened and she stepped back, letting me go. A smile slowly grew across her face, and I had one as well. She turned around and began barking orders at the others, telling three of them to finish the van. Arrow looked at me asking the question I knew he was going to ask.

"What did you tell her?"

"Just the thing she needed to hear." That was all I said before I waked out the door.


End file.
